


Street rats bite back

by Teki



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Boys Kissing, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fights, First Kiss, M/M, Rough Kissing, Training, idk what else to tag this l m a o, kingdom au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 17:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11925378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teki/pseuds/Teki
Summary: After the death of her father, Allura is crowned queen of Altea, a country deep in war with the neighbouring Daibazaal. As she takes on her new responsibility, she forms the Paladins in her father's image.Shiro, a master tactician and esteemed fighter.Keith, an underground fighter who've survived many trials.Lance, the youngest son from a noble family, a traveller whose silver tounge has gained a reputation.Hunk, the only successor to his familys heritage, which had been built on agriculture and smiles.and Pidge, who had lost her family in an attack from the enemy, set on finding her lost brother.They all had their reasons for agreeing to join her cause. Though, not all of them get along too well.That's how Keith and Lance started their regular fighting sessions.---------Birthday fic for my good friend Bo/Bob/Bobbo!!!!!





	Street rats bite back

**Author's Note:**

> H e l l o yall, it's ya gurl Teki, back at it again with another birthday fic. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BO, YOU BLESSING ON THIS EARTH!! I hope ur day is as AMAZING as u r!!! (its ur bd in my timezone)
> 
> This fic was a fuckin pain to write n i hope u all enjoy it ;;A;;
> 
> SHOUTOUT to my beta, Reese, for knocking it out of the park w this one, god bless ur soul seriously

The kingdom of Altea had been fluctuating between peace and war with the Daibazaal empire for decades. The relationship between the two royal families changed as often as the weather in the northern Olkari lands. Each generation of crown-bearers had different ideals and different approaches to the age-old feud with their neighboring country.

By the time Allura became queen in her kingdom, in the midst of yet another war, most methods and approaches to dealing with their enemies had been tested and tried. She had spent her youth studying their history, back when there was peace under her father’s reign. She loved her father, she really did, but he had left a war in her hands as he died on the battlefield, fighting off those he formerly called friends.

Allura wholeheartedly believed her father had done a lot of good in his time: he had been a caring father and a great leader, setting an example for everyone around him. He had helped Altea prosper for the first time in years, his peace being the one which lasted the longest according to all known history. Allura had been there to watch every step of the way, she had been there when her father launched his greatest project, when he formed the Paladins.

The Paladins were meant to be heroes to both Altea and Daibazaal, people of extraordinary talents who were worthy of adoration and worship. Alfor had chosen people who would inspire his people to work hard to raise their country from the ground, letting them travel the land to lead by example, and it had succeeded. Altea’s people had taken a liking to Alfor’s paladins, stories of their good deeds and inspiring words spreading across the lands as people followed their lead.

The Paladins had all died as the war broke out again, none of them were trained soldiers, but they had been examples for their people until their dying breath on the battlefield.

Allura made sure to not make the same mistake as she assembled her own, new team of Paladins.

She had the help of her advisor, Coran, who had served her father and now her. He had eyes and ears all across the country, and was a crucial source of information for the queen of Altea. His counsel had been invaluable as she found her five new Paladins.

The first one was easy. Takashi ‘Shiro’ Shirogane, a military prodigy who had risen through the ranks at a fast pace, proving himself over and over. He had been held prisoner in Daibazaal back when the war just started, but had broken out thanks to his own wit and fighting ability. He had been more than willing to serve once more.

Through a tip from Shiro, Allura had found the second Paladin, Keith Kogane. Keith had been orphaned as a child, grew up with other street-kids, and kept himself alive by participating in various underground fighting circles. Though Allura didn’t approve, Keith had become well-known for his ability to persevere in his fights, and she couldn’t deny his talent. The younger man joined with little difficulty after Shiro had shared some silent words with him. When asked, Shiro had told Allura they were childhood friends, and that Keith owed him a favor.

Lance Castillo was harder to find. One would think the youngest son from a big, rich, family with a lot of influence in the land would be easy to find, but a traveler like Lance certainly proved a challenge. Eventually, Coran found him doing his best to help the common folk in a town with his master marksmanship, lovely songs, and charming words. He became the third Paladin at the promise of protecting his family, making Allura give her word that his brothers and sisters wouldn’t be called from their homes to join the military unless absolutely necessary. When asked why, he explained that he only had older siblings, most whom had already established families, having spouses and young children. He’d rather not watch one of his nephew’s or niece’s be left without a parent.

They found Hunk with a tip from Lance, the two of them being childhood friends and from friendly families. Allura thought it fitting for Hunk to become the fourth Paladin, he was not known for his fighting skills as the others, but his knowledge of agriculture and history would prove invaluable as they moved forward in the war. He was known for his expertise within the culinary arts, not surprising for the son of a family whose success came from farming lands and distributing various foods. He needed some convincing before agreeing to join them, as he was the only heir to his family’s responsibilities. With a broad smile and promises of re-living their younger days as pranksters, Lance managed to be the final push that made Hunk agree to the role.

Allura didn’t find the fifth Paladin. The fifth Paladin found her. Katie Holt, aka ‘Pidge’, a girl from a family of scientists that had served their country for generations. That was until a Galra troop had raided a southern village near the border, consequently burning it down. Many had died, and it was believed that the Holt family was among the deceased. That was until Pidge showed up in front of the castle doors, demanding to be made one of the Paladins. She explained her parents had been killed in the fire, yes, but her brother had not. They had managed to escape, but in the panic and hurry they had lost sight of each other in the woods, and a scream of terror had been the last she heard of him. Pidge was determined to find her brother again, dead or alive. This determination had helped her through a great deal of troubles and trials, eventually leading her to Allura’s castle. She hoped the status as Paladin would help further her search, and as Allura realized how extremely intelligent Pidge was, she saw no reason to deny her the title.

Thrilled with forming her new Paladins, she was quick to understand they were very much unlike their predecessors. The first few dinners they had together were definitely awkward, none of them knowing each other that well. Most of them found peace with each other relatively quickly. Hunk and Pidge got along quickly, and with Lance they became a trio, the three of them spending a lot of time hanging around the library. Shiro and Keith would spend a lot of time training together, the two obviously being the most skilled in combat of all the Paladins. Hunk enjoyed making snacks for everyone, and made sure the two were hydrated at all times. Pidge and Keith formed a strange bond with a closeness almost absurd for the short time they had known each other, and Shiro and Hunk speculated that the reason was because they had both lost their parents. Lance, the unapologetically loudest and boldest of the bunch, easily got along with most of them. However, he quickly realized he wasn’t a big fan of Keith, who was somewhat the opposite of him, quiet and reserved. He was not afraid to show his dislike of Keith, which created some difficulties among the team.

The first few missions they went on together were relatively peaceful, word of the remaking of the Paladins preceded them as they visited several large cities. They were typically met with cheering in the streets they rode through on their horses. There were some fancy dinners with some lords and mayors, some fights with thieves and criminals, and some nights spent in places at least one Paladin had not slept before, whether it was a small barn or a master bedroom for each.

They learned to work together as a team, though Lance and Keith would often disagree on principle, both stubborn and with completely different views on the world. Keith had seen the worst of the worst, lived hand-to-mouth, day-to-day, with little left for pleasantries, diplomacy or common courtesy. Lance was the opposite, never having had the need to worry over where he would sleep or eat the next day, though highly skilled in wielding a silver tongue. They butted heads more often than the rest of the team thought was strictly necessary.

One of those times was during a dinner with a highly regarded Count, who lived in a far-off vicinity of the kingdom. It had started as they sat around the table, having a pleasant conversation, when Keith had said something that made Lance feel the need to react.

“What?!” Lance nearly screeched, quickly risingfrom his seat. He almost knocked the chair over and slammed his hands on the table under him, the force making the neatly placed silverware shake as he stared down the other boy.

“I just said that—“

“No, no, no, rhetorical question Keith. I don’t wanna hear what you said again! You’re proposing an… an anarchist regime while working directly under the Queen!”

“Lance—“ Shiro started, but was interrupted by Keith standing up at his end of the table, mirroring Lance’s aggressive body language.

“That’s not what I meant! I’m just saying, if you high-ups shared some of your wealth and stopped stealing from the ones at the bottom, maybe Count Lobos here wouldn’t have a bunch of kids living in the slum!”

“Keith—“ Shiro began again, only to be interrupted once more.

“It’s called  _ taxes _ , Keith. We’re at  _ war _ , where do you think the money go—“

“Okay,  _ enough _ !” Shiro stood, his loud voice filling the entire room as he eyed the two Paladins with a disapproving look. The others at the table were now all staring at him; even the servants in the room had stopped their work to watch the commotion. Shiro paused for a moment, and took a deep breath before continuing. “I suggest the both of you settle down,  _ right now _ , or go wait in the stables.”

Lance slowly sat down, looking somewhat ashamed of himself under Shiro’s gaze before meeting Keith’s unhappy glare as the other sat down too. The two had a staring contest for a short moment, before they both looked away and scoffed. Shiro could only sigh and apologize to the Count, who laughed it away with a comment about the youthful spirit. He then started droning on about how great he was in his younger days, and though nobody really believed he did all the things he said he had, the dinner continued without any more incidents.

The squabbles between Keith and Lance did not exactly lessen with time, Shiro having to break up multiple fights before they got back to Allura’s castle.

They got better after a while, at least at keeping their petty fights away from the view of the public, with the teams’ encouragement. Their relationship even bettered somewhat after they started training against each other in combat, at Shiro’s suggestion. It seemed to help them get along, though Keith definitely kicked Lance’s ass multiple times during the first few weeks. Shiro even joined them from time to time, giving them pointers and tricks at technique as well as doing private sessions with both of them, as Lance was hell-bent at being on equal footing with Keith.

They tried to keep a routine, training together a few times a week, though it was hard to keep consistent as the war kept needing their attention. They were frequently sent off to different missions and, sometimes, battles.

Keith and Shiro had been training when Lance interrupted.

Lance had seen them fighting on the training grounds from a window in the castle, unaware of Keith’s return from a mission that had taken up weeks, and had practically sprinted down to watch them. He would never admit it, but he did find Shiro and Keith’s sparring matches rather enjoyable. If Pidge or Hunk ever asked though, he told them he enjoyed watching Shiro kick ass, specifically, Keith’s ass.

Lance didn’t know how long Shiro and Keith had known each other, but it was clear from their matches that they were well familiar with each other’s fighting styles. They each had a wooden pole, with Shiro’s being shorter, close to the size of a dagger.

Lance had come down just in time to watch Keith kick Shiro back, giving them both time to recuperate and breathe before lunging at each other again. Lance watched in awe as each movement flew into the next.

He watched as Keith swung low for his opponent’s legs, Shiro jumping just in time to avoid the polearm smacking against his shins. Keith took advantage of the opportunity, regaining his balance and attacking again. The two were moving so quickly, Lance’s eyes could barely follow the chain of attacks and blocks.

To Lance it seemed like Shiro was mostly blocking and deflecting Keith’s fast attacks, taking a step back to match every step forward Keith took to try and gain some advantage. Keith seemed kind of annoyed, angry even, going at it with a relentless energy. They were both deep in concentration, Keith definitely more winded than Shiro, who was… smiling, almost. Lance realized he was going easy on Keith, catching Shiro glancing over at him, his astounded face earning him a short wink from the older man. Okay, he was  _ definitely _ going easy on Keith, who was obviously working hard. It made Lance feel a bit better about the fact that Shiro usually went easy with him too. Suddenly, the older man stopped backing as he neared one of the walls confining the training grounds, taking the offensive route.

There was a short pause in their flow as Shiro blocked Keith with his free hand, holding on to Keith as he struck back with a jab at the younger Paladin’s undefended side. Keith blocked the hit though, which surprised Lance. Shiro was fast – and he quickly lunged out at Shiro again – this time with more force than necessary. Shiro ducked out of the way easily, which in turn made Keith lose his balance, bending over. Lance saw the opportunity this presented at the same time as Shiro, who promptly hit Keith over his back with his pole, sending Keith tumbling to the ground with a grunt.

Lance laughed audibly as Keith quickly turned around, heaving for air. Shiro took a deep breath and wiped his brow, before smiling and offering a hand to help Keith up. Keith accepted the help, shooting Lance a glare once he was back up on his feet.

“Man, your ass just got wrecked,” Lance laughed, wiping a tear from his eye as Shiro patted Keith on his shoulder, making sure that the younger man was ok. Keith gave him a short nod, before turning his attention to Lance.

“As if you could do any better,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Hey! I’ve been training!”

Shiro laughed, lifting his hands in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “Okay, okay. Lance, you wanna go for a round? I think Keith needs a break.”

Keith opened his mouth to protest, but Shiro lifted a finger, stopping him and giving him a challenging look. They both knew Keith had been training for a while before Shiro had come to the grounds. Keith grumbled, knowing it was futile to argue against him.

“Sure, don’t have anything else to do right now. The ambassadors from the Balmeran city states left a little while ago,” Lance said as he unhooked the cape resting over his shoulders, shrugging it off by the edge of the training grounds as he strode to the center. Keith sighed and put his pole back in it’s place on one of the stands along the wall, all of which contained a variety of practice weapons.

“Hand-to-hand?” Shiro asked, moving to put away his pole too. Lance nodded, rolling up his sleeves while Keith slid down one of the walls to sit and watch them.

“What? Lance is the worst at close-combat!” Keith exclaimed as Shiro neared him to put down his pole. Everyone knew that Lance was the long-range guy. His archery skills were well-known, even Keith had heard about his feats in battle before meeting him. Lance on a horse’s back with a bow in his hands was scary. Lance on a high platform with a bow was terrifying. Now that they’d been in a few fights together, Keith had stories of having his ass saved by Lance’s arrow more times than he’d like to admit. Keith had seen him take down enemy archers, daggers chucked at his teammates, and flying birds when they were low on food.

Lance’s aptitude for archery couldn’t be denied, which was why his close-combat expertise seemed so… lacking, in comparison. He knew his basics, but Keith had beaten him every time they’d gone at it, and there was no way he’d beat Shiro from what he had seen.

“Hey! I said I’ve been practicing. Shiro has helped me, and I’m much better than I was when we fought last. I’m sure I could take you.”

“Oh yeah? Then let’s go—“

“Boys.” Shiro chimed in, making them both calm down. “Lance, me first. You two can go at it after, when I leave for my meeting with Allura and Coran.”

Both of them nodded in response, Keith settling down to watch them as Lance and Shiro both readied themselves at the center of the grounds.

Lance was kind of nervous. Yes, he had trained with Shiro, if only for a time, as Keith had been off on a mission with Pidge, gathering soldiers. This was the first time Keith and Lance had been on the training grounds together in weeks, and Lance was definitely going to show off while facing Shiro.

Lance swallowed thickly to keep the bubbling anxiety down, and suddenly Shiro was moving. When the two of them had first started training together, Shiro had always waited for Lace to start. As Lance got more proficient in their battles, that changed. The brunet had no time to think before he was blocking Shiro’s arm. He could already feel his pulse quickening as Shiro picked up the pace, Lance barely able to keep up with his attacks.

Shiro pressed on, keeping Lance focused as they danced around the training grounds. It barely felt like any time went on, and before Lance knew it, he was heaving. Sweat ran down his neck, his muscles screaming for a break as new bruises were forming on his arms, already black and blue from previous training sessions. They had already been a hassle to cover up when meeting diplomats, Lance thought. It was a slight deviation of focus, a fleeting thought he couldn’t stop, and it was all Shiro needed. A quick jab. A late block. Lance felt the pain sear up through his side before he even registered that Shiro had hit him.

The noise Lance made was involuntary. It _hurt_. Shiro seemed as shocked as Lance felt. The younger Paladin hadn’t let Shiro get this close since the first day of their private sessions. Neither of them had expected it, and both froze, staring at each other. Lance could hear his own blood pumping through his veins, could feel his side throbbing, could not resist his muscles screaming for him to move, _move,_ **_move._** So he did.

They were close and Lance didn’t need to lean far back before he had all his weight on one leg. It took half a second to lift his other foot off the ground. To aim it at Shiro’s torso. To send the older, bigger,  _ stronger _ man toppling over. It all happened so quickly, yet Lance felt like each second took a century. He felt completely empty as he regained his footing, head clear of thoughts, completely empty, as he slowly looked over at Shiro. Shiro, who had certainly not been prepared for that. Shiro, who was currently laying on the ground. Shiro, who was staring at Lance with complete shock – a stare that Lance returned. He had never even been close to knocking Shiro over, or actually winning a fight.

The training grounds were eerily silent as Lance and Shiro stared at each other. Lance could feel Keith’s gaze from the sidelines, but didn’t care. He subconsciously lifted a hand to his throbbing side as the worst of the pain faded to a dull reminder of Shiro’s prowess. Then Lance snapped out of it, shaking his head once as he took a sharp breath. He was quick to offer Shiro his hand, which Shiro took, standing up quickly and brushing the dirt off his clothes.

“Haha, wow, that was, uhh.. “ Lance started, scratching his neck and looking away, down at the ground. He felt Shiro’s hand on his shoulder, bringing his attention back up at the older man, who smiled at him.

“Well done, Lance. Your training has really paid off!”

Lance laughed a bit awkwardly at that. “Thanks, I guess. Are you… okay, though?”

“Totally. You’re not that strong, Lance.”

“Uhm, excuse me, I knocked you over.”

“By surprising me, yes. Quick thinking, not strength.”

Lance laughed again, more genuinely this time. Keith had stood up and made his way over to them while Lance assured Shiro that he was fine too, he hadn’t been hit too hard. Keith stood next to them, now giving Shiro a suspicious look. When he opened his mouth to speak, Shiro stopped him by raising his voice and stretching.

“The timing was perfect, because it’s about time I go meet with the queen and her advisor. The two of you can continue if you want to, I’ll be back.”

Keith closed his mouth and nodded, seeming a bit miffed. Lance nodded too, and with a smile, Shiro left them to their own devices.

Once alone, Lance turned to look at Keith, who had his arms crossed over his chest, still looking after Shiro. When Keith noticed Lance’s gaze, he turned his head to meet his eyes with a scowl. The rush Lance had been feeling from his fight against Shiro died quickly, annoyance building up inside him instead.

“You wanna go?”

“Let’s do this.”

Keith picked up the pole he had been using in his fight against Shiro, and tied his hair back while he waited for Lance to get ready. Lance considered picking up a pole to match Keith, but decided against it. He had only ever done hand-to-hand with Shiro, and would rather not make a fool of himself with a stick in his hands that he didn’t know how to use.

Instead, Lance sauntered his way to the center of the training grounds, and turned to look at Keith, who had followed him at a somewhat slower pace. Lance let his cocky grin shine at the other as he readied himself, Keith only standing there with the pole in his arm, staring at him with an unimpressed look. Lance could feel him hesitate.

“What are you waiting for, slum boy? Come at me!”

“Are you sure? We don’t have to do this if you’re hurt.”

“Aww, are you afraid ‘cuz I beat Shiro and you didn’t?”

“That’s not what I—“

“Bawk bawk bawk! Didn’t know the street-rat was a chicken!”

Lance only meant to tease Keith. He usually teased him, called him names that weren’t really meant to pack any punch, nicknames related to Keith’s past being Lance’s go-to. Keith usually didn’t mind, getting used to Lance’s goading in record time – though he fell for it pretty often. This time, however…

Lance could see the change. Could see how Keith’s eyes fired up, his whole body tense and how he raised his pole, ready to attack. Lance barely had time to brace himself before Keith attacked; he fought the initial shock that washed over him as he blocked Keith’s first hits and resisted the urge to close his eyes.

The pole left red marks on his bare arms the second they collided. Lance had no time to register how badly it hurt. Keith wasn’t about to slow down, and Lance was barely able to keep up. It took a few seconds of instinctive reactions to Keith’s attacks before Lance fully realized what was going on. The other Paladin had never been this harsh on Lance, despite beating him several times over. They had both been aware that there was a gap in their experience, that Lance couldn’t possibly keep up if Keith went all out.

Lance knew that Keith still wasn’t going all out, but he was definitely more ruthless now than he had been before. The punches hit harder, lingered for longer, went faster. Keith was acting like a bloodthirsty animal, pushing forward with every opportunity presented to him. Lance had just seen him do the same in his fight with Shiro, but he was definitely presenting more openings to Keith than Shiro ever would have.

He could hear his own blood rushing through his veins, his own heart beating in his chest. He didn’t know how long they went on, Lance blocking Keith’s attacks, but at some point Lance realized his knees were shaking. His forearms were ablaze with pain, stinging red from all the hits they had suffered, his chest bearing some of that redness as a consequence of when Lance hadn’t been fast enough.

They were both heaving, sweaty, shaking. Yet Keith didn’t stop. Every time Lance met his eyes, he saw that same fiery determination. At some point, as Lance instinctively blocked a hard swing from Keith with his heart about to jump out of his chest, he realized he was scared. Keith was stronger, faster, better at close combat. For a short moment, Lance recognized how easy it would have been for Keith to seriously injure him, if he wanted to. He fought back even harder at this, not sure if he had been refueled by anger or fear.

The rush of energy didn’t last long however, the shaking getting stronger as Lance heard himself pant and heave for air. Then, suddenly, Lance saw an opening. Keith was obviously getting tired too, his breathing quick and heavy, the slowing of his movements barely noticeable. But, as he swung his arm back to hit once more, Lance saw an opening.

He acted instinctively, a move he had seen Shiro perform in battle etched in his mind. As Keith swung down, Lance was prepared, grabbing his wrist and swinging himself into Keith’s personal space to hit him in the chest with his elbow. He let go as he felt Keith doubling over, scurrying a few steps away before turning to look at Keith as he gasped for air at a safe distance. As he saw the other Paladin struggle, he felt nothing but pure rage fill him up.

“What the fucking hell is your problem?!” Lance shouted, standing with his shoulders raised up his ears, hands clenched into fists. Keith didn’t answer as he slowly stood up, wiping his mouth, staring at the boy a few steps away from him. They were both still panting; exhausted from the prolonged fight they had just gone through. Lance was set on ending it there, to give in and leave, but then Keith was moving again.

Of all the things Lance expected of Keith, from dying because of his own stubbornness to most likely being a virgin, and an eternal one at that, he never expected Keith to straight up barrel into Lance, causing them both to fall over. It was surreal. His back hit the gravel that covered the grounds, the small stones digging into his back, and he felt Keith land heavily on top of him. He knocked the wind out of Lance, who gasped as he saw stars, his lungs suddenly screaming at the lack of air.

 

Lance’s vision blurred for half a second, before oxygen filled him again and his eyes watered at the sweetness breathing brought him. It took him a moment to collect himself, feeling a faint throbbing pain at the back of his head. As his eyes refocused, he saw Keith sitting atop him, staring straight down at him with his brows furrowed. Lance tried to move his arms, but realized they were pinned in an uncomfortable angle by Keith himself.

Every fiber in Lance’s body screamed at him to move, to get away from the actual feral animal holding him down, and he tried, he really tried. He struggled against Keith, but the other boy was stronger and had no qualms holding him down. Lance grunted with annoyance as he stared up at Keith, who returned his look with a somewhat… confused expression. It made Lance stop, made the words that were making their way up his throat fall down to his stomach again.

It felt as if the world was slowing to a halt. Lance was suddenly keenly aware of every part of his body that was pressed against Keith’s, keenly aware of their slowing breathing that was synchronizing as they stared at each other. He couldn’t tell how, or what, but  _ something _ had changed between the two of them. Neither of them could look away, completely hypnotized by every little movement the other made. Lance felt the need to keep Keith right where he was, panting and exhausted, to make him stay just so, so Lance could memorize his every feature. He knew, he  _ knew _ that Keith felt the same way as the other started to move closer. Lance could feel Keith’s grip on his wrists soften as he leant down, he could feel his heartbeat at a rapid pace and his blood heat up yet turn to ice simultaneously.

Keith’s nose was just short of touching Lance’s when he stopped. Lance, who had unintentionally been eyeing Keith’s lips as they moved closer to his, had his attention brought back to Keith’s eyes. Eyes which were staring intently at Lance. He could feel the other’s hot breath on his face, and as their gazes lingered on each other, he felt as if the air around them heated up too. There were no words spoken, not a noise from either of them, and then Keith’s mouth was on Lance’s.

Lance belatedly had half a mind to tilt his head as their noses clashed against each other. His eyes shut instinctively and he let the urge to return the kiss overtake him. He felt Keith settle between his legs and shuddered under the other’s weight as Keith pulled back a bit to breathe. He wasn’t given much time to catch his breath, as his grip on Lance’s wrists had loosened, and Lance had his hands in Keith’s hair within seconds. He pulled the other Paladin back down, their lips locking for another harsh kiss.

Lance couldn’t justify it. He couldn’t justify kissing Keith back, pulling him back again and again to feel more of his warmth. He couldn’t find an excuse good enough to explain why he’d let Keith’s hands slide under his shirt, let them travel along his skin and rest at his waist as Lance arched into the hot touch. He couldn’t help but gasp as Keith moved from his lips, down his jawline and his neck, leaving a trail of little red patches of skin.

It was hot. Everything was fueled by heat and warmth, Lance feeling dizzy as his vision fogged. His mind was entirely taken by the moment, by Keith’s calloused hands and his soft kisses, by the whining pain from his mistreated lips. He could barely piece everything together, find a reason, make sense of it. His hands tugged at Keith’s hair as some part of Lance tried so,  _ so _ hard not to give completely in to his own desires, not before he understood  _ why _ .

The answer came after a voice rang out in the grounds, filling the space and their ears.

“Can you guys  _ not _ do it in the limited training space we have? Get a room!”

It was enough for Lance to return to his senses, to realize that this was not how it was supposed to go. Keith also seemed surprised, quick to retreat off Lance and away, ending up sitting a little away from the other as Lance sat up. The both of them were quick to turn their heads toward the owner of the voice, who turned out to be Pidge, shouting out from the same window from which Lance had seen Shiro and Keith train.

Neither of them answered, both quickly looking away at the gravel beneath them. The silence was deafening, Lance burning under Pidge’s gaze. When he dared peek back up at the window, she was gone. Lance sighed as he lowered his eyes, unwillingly meeting Keith’s stare as he tried to collect himself.

Lance found himself unable to look away, staring at Keith as the other wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Suddenly, Lance felt anger surge inside him. Rage filled him as he stared Keith down, a rage fueled by a multitude of questions that bubbled in his stomach, grew and slinked their way up his throat, merging and expanding until they all became one single question that filled his whole head and stole his words. A question which forced itself out Lance’s mouth with such force that it filled the whole grounds and rung in their ears.

“What the  _ fucking hell _ is your problem?!”

Keith’s face twisted its way through many emotional expressions, from shock to anger, pain, and remorse last. Lance watched as Keith seemed to struggle in an inner battle, words seemingly at the ready to spill from his mouth. He could hear his own heartbeat as it slowly began to settle.

“I met my grandmother.” Keith looked away the second the words came out of him, now refusing to meet Lance’s shocked gaze. “During the mission with Pidge.”

Keith’s background was no secret to any of the Paladins. Everyone knew he had been orphaned at a young age, that he had lived in the streets. This was what had given inspiration to most of Lance’s goading insults. It was shocking to hear he still had relatives, Lance had kind of just assumed they were all dead. Something told Lance that Keith also had assumed that, before now.

“She’s one of those noble people, like you. When we realized the relation, she… She rejected me. Called me a street-rat.”

Lance’s heart fell to his stomach.  _ Oh. _

“Oh.”

“So when you said… that, something in me just snapped. I was harder on you than necessary, and I’m sorry.”

Lance looked down at his hands, neatly placed in his lap. His arms were littered with forming bruises, along with the older ones. He kind of felt like he deserved it now. He couldn’t have possibly known, there was no way he could have. Even so, Keith didn’t deserve shit people for family, and Lance felt like a major douche for putting salt in a wound newly formed atop a multitude of scars.

“I… I’m sorry too, Keith. I didn’t know, and if I had, I would never have—“

“I know. It’s ok.”

Silence fell over them, neither of them knowing what to say next. Lance felt questions scraping at his insides, demanding attention, demanding to be let out and aired. Lance held them in. Most of them.

“But that doesn’t really explain the… second part, of that whole… thing.”

One again Keith’s face twisted together, Lance daring to watch him to satiate his own curiosity. They were silent for a while, until Keith sighed, his shoulders sagging a bit, seeming to accept whatever he was about to say next.

“I’ve had a crush on you for a while now.”

Lance’s jaw fell, the boy staring wide-eyed at the other, who in turn refused to meet his gaze. Some part of Lance refused to believe it, couldn’t believe that Keith was into  _ him _ , of all people. Yet it it made sense. Lance was completely frozen in shock as the wheels turned in his head, struggling to process this new information.

“And I’ve kind of gained some confidence in myself, considering how much you liked that… ‘second part’.”

A low, inhuman noise escaped Lance before he managed to start stammering, wracking his brain for words, anything which he could use to reply to Keith. Just as he started to form a sentence however, the door which lead out of the training grounds slammed open, and out came Shiro, breathing heavily.

“Sorry to cut your training short, Allura needs us - all of us. Attack on the southern border.”

The two boys were quickly up on their feet, collecting their things and following Shiro out the door.

Pidge eyed Lance with a sly look during the briefing. As Allura explained their upcoming mission, Lance resorted to ignoring Pidge’s gaze, while being keenly aware of Keith sitting next to him.

**Author's Note:**

> hhh yEAH there we fuckin g o, i hope yall liked this,,, whatever it is!!!! 
> 
> My tumblr is: sushisocks.tumblr.com
> 
> thank u all for reading, n agAIN HAPP BIRTH BO!!!!!!!!!


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